Lufthansa suspends Sharjah-Pak flights

In a report submitted to its headquarters in New Delhi, the LCI crew said they suspected the explosion was caused by a missile.

The LCI has already taken up the matter with Pakistan and asked the authorities to provide them with a detailed report.

Lufthansa Cargo operates a total of 12 flights a week from Sharjah to Pakistan 8212; six flights each to Karachi and Lahore.

However, the Civil Aviation Authority at the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport at Karachi denied that the flash was caused by explosion.

8220;After consultations with relevant agencies by the Civil Aviation, it has been established that the observed lighted object was not a pyrotechnic light flare, nor was it a missile. In all probability, the flash was caused by the re-entry of disintegrated pieces of artificial satellites or meteor showers,8221; Parvez George, public relations manager of the Civil Aviation Authority in Karachi said in a statement faxed to the newspaper.

Meanwhile, a report in a leading Urdu daily of Pakistan stated that a number of other airlines, including the crew of one of the Pakistan international airlines8217; planes, also reported the incident, informing the control tower in Karachi that they too had seen 8220;fire balls8221; over the Karachi skies.